The 2016 Fifth Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest Will Award a Total of $80,000 in Cash Prizes!

STATE COLLEGE, Pa.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center www.sgicc.org announced that this year’s Fifth Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest will award a total of $80,000 in cash prizes. The prize money will be shared among the four best shale-energy oriented innovations, new product ideas, or service concepts that are either in the development stage or recently launched. Researchers, entrepreneurs, or small businesses in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, who are focused on developing a new product or service for the shale energy space are welcome to apply.

A simple, online application can be found at http://www.sgicc.org/2016-shale-gas-innovation-contest.html.

“The SGICC would like to recognize the generous support of the Benedum Foundation for again helping to extend the contest to include West Virginia.” – Bill Hall, SGICC Director

In addition to the cash prizes, successful applicants will gain exposure to investors, potential partners, and industry sponsors. The Final’s Event, already scheduled to take place on May 18th, 2016 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Southpointe, PA, will include a poster session to highlight some of the most promising technologies under development at regional universities and research centers.

Bill Hall, Director of the SGICC commented, “The challenging pricing environment that the industry is facing, the ever-increasing emphasis on environmental compliance, and gaining the social license to operate across the Marcellus and Utica Shale Region, are factors that continue to make new innovations all the more important. The rapid pace of innovation adoption across the shale energy plays in this area has been amazing! Through this contest, SGICC shines a light on the best new innovations being developed in our region.”

Any idea or already commercialized product or service related to the shale energy space is eligible. Examples include well pad EH&S products/services, novel materials or chemicals – to enhance performance, prevent corrosion, or improve product yield – remote site monitoring technologies, natural gas or NGL conversion technologies, and water management or remediation technologies.

Finalists will be chosen by a panel of industry experts. To download an application, visit www.sgicc.org and click on the 2016 Shale Gas Innovation Contest tab. Deadline to enter is 11:59 PM on February 1, 2016.

For details regarding eligibility or other questions, contact Bill Hall at either 814-933-8203 or billhall@psu.edu.

About the SGICC

The Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation and Commercialization Center (www.sgicc.org) is designed to harness innovation and new technologies as a means to maximize the economic return to Pennsylvania’s citizens from the Marcellus and Utica shale formations. The Center also identifies, supports and helps commercialize technologies and early-stage businesses that enhance responsible stewardship of the environment while properly utilizing this transformative energy asset.